I Loved Her First
by Mikaila Railyn Avery
Summary: On Alex and Mitchie's daugher's wedding day, Mitchie has a special present for the two brides. Based on the song of the same title by Heartland


"And now, one of the mothers of the bride would like to say a few words." Taylor, the chosen Emcee for the evening announced as Mitchie stood behind her, an acoustic guitar clutched in her hands. Everyone clapped as Taylor stepped aside and let Mitchie step up to the mic, her nerves and emotions hitting overdrive as she locked eyes with her baby girl, Camila, who was sitting at the head table in the most gorgeous white dress imaginable with her bridesmaids and now-wife Lauren. It was a sight that Mitchie never thought she'd see so soon, and to be honest it hadn't even truly hit her until that moment that her baby girl wasn't _he__r _baby girl anymore. She was Lauren's now and that thought alone made a huge lump form in Mitchie's throat.

"Okay, I'm going to try my best to get through this without crying so I'm sorry in advance if that doesn't work out." Mitchie began, the sound of laughter coming from the audience.

"First of all, welcome to the family Lauren. You know Alex, Emory, Dylan and I love you to pieces and we couldn't be happier that you're now officially part of the family." Mitchie smiled wide at her new daughter-in-law who couldn't help but smile in return.

"Just make sure 'mila doesn't give you too much of a hard time, if she does feel free to send her back to us." More laughter erupted from the audience.

"Camila, baby girl I'm just so happy for you. You've grown up into such a beautiful, talented, amazing young woman who's had a good head on your shoulders and always fought for anything you've ever believed in. Even though you and Lauren are starting this new chapter of your lives together you'll still be our little princess who decided using mommy's eyeliner to draw kitties and unicorns on the wall was a good idea when she was 3." Mitchie laughed with everyone as the lump in her throat seemed to grow bigger.

"I, um….there's more I want to say but I figure like usual the best way for me to express myself is through music so before I lose it, here's to the lovely brides." Mitchie smiled to the two girls as she took her seat on a stool Taylor had put beside her while she was giving her speech.

_**Look at the two of you dancing that way**__**  
**__**Lost in the moment and each others face**__**  
**__**So much in love your alone in this place**__**  
**__**Like there's nobody else in the world**_

_**I was enough for her not long ago**__**  
**__**I was her number one**__**  
**__**She told me so**__**  
**__**And she still means the world to me**__**  
**__**Just so you know**__**  
**__**So be careful when you hold my girl**__**  
**__**Time changes everything**__**  
**__**Life must go on**__**  
**__**And I'm not gonna stand in your way**__**But I loved her first and I held her first**__**  
**__**And a place in my heart will always be hers**__**  
**__**From the first breath she breathed**__**  
**__**When she first smiled at me**__**  
**__**I knew the love of a Mother runs deep**_

_"1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10." Dr. Kennedy counted and as Mitchie let her head fall back to the pillow yet again a loud cry filled the room._

_"It's a girl!" Dr. Kennedy announced as he suctioned the newborns mouth and both Mitchie and Alex had tears in their eyes as Alex cut the umbilical cord and the baby was whisked off to be checked over._

_"You did amazing baby." Alex said through tears as she gave Mitchie a kiss._

_"Where is she?" Mitchie asked, just barely getting the words out she was so drained._

_"They're just checking her over, don't worry." Alex assured her and about 5 minutes later their baby girl was brought over to them._

_"7 pounds, 4 and a half ounces, 19 inches long and perfectly healthy. Congratulations mommies." Dr. Kennedy smiled as he handed the newborn over to Mitchie. She was perfection; no other word described her more than that. From her thick head of hair to her little toes there was not a single flaw that could be seen on the newborn. _

_"Hey baby girl," Mitchie cooed, the newborn just barely looking up at her with half opened eyes._

_"We still haven't decided a name," Alex reminded Mitchie._

_"How about Camila?" Mitchie suggested._

_"Why Camila?" Alex asked._

_"Because it means perfect, and that's exactly what she is," Mitchie replied. There was no other words said between the two, she was a Camila. _

_**And I prayed that she'd find you someday**__**  
**__**But it still hard to give her away**__**  
**__**I loved her first**__**How could that beautiful women with you**__**  
**__**Be the same freckle face kid that I knew?**__**  
**__**The one that I read all those fairy tales to**__**  
**__**And tucked into bed all those nights?**_

_"Momma can we wead dis one?" a 3 year old Camila asked her mother, holding up her copy of Cinderella with the biggest puppy dog eyes she could pull off._

_"Okay, let's get tucked into bed first," Mitchie replied and no other words were needed as Camila ran up to her room and jumped into her bed, grabbing her favourite stuffed dragon, Dani, as she crawled under her covers and cuddled close into Mitchie._

_"Okay…once upon a time in a land far away, lived a beautiful young girl and her widowed father…"_

_Mitchie read her daughter her most favourite story until all she heard were light snores coming from the 3 year old who now had Dani tucked under her arms and her thump propped in her mouth, sucking on it as she lay there sound asleep._

_"Night, Princess," Mitchie said, sliding out of the bed and giving her daughter a kiss on her forehead before turning on Camila's puppy nightlight and heading downstairs._

_**And I knew the first time I saw you with her**__**  
**__**It was only a matter of time**_

_"LoLo, stoooop!" Mitchie heard her 16 year old daughters giggling voice coming from outside. Doing her best to be discreet Mitchie got up from her spot on the couch and peeked through the slits on the blinds, making sure no one could see her. She couldn't see all that well but she did manage to see her daughter and another girl now on the front lawn, the girl now having pinned Camila to the ground and ticking her._

_"Lo-haha-stoooooop!" Camila shrieked._

_The girl, who she soon learned was named Lauren, finally stopped tickling Camila and got up from the ground, but not before giving her a quick kiss and offering to help her look Lauren was giving Camila was one Mitchie knew all too well. It was the same look she gave Alex at that age, and the look she still gave her now._

_ And in that moment, as the girls walked up to the doorstep with their hands laced together, that's when Mitchie started to feel it_

_Her baby girl slipping right out of her fingers__**But I loved her first and I held her first**__**  
**__**And a place in my heart will always be hers**__**  
**__**From the first breath she breathed**__**  
**__**When she first smiled at me**__**  
**__**I knew the love of a Mother runs deep**__**  
**__**And I prayed that she'd find you someday**__**  
**__**But it's still hard to give her away**__**  
**__**I loved her first**_

_"Hey, guys," Alex smiled as Camila and Lauren's faces appeared on the computer screen. Lauren and Camila were in their 2__nd__and 3__rd__year of college now, both living together in New York in a small apartment. Since Alex and Mitchie were still in LA, Camila promised they'd still have regular skype chats at least once a week. This was one of the few times Lauren had joined in on the chat so Alex was caught a little off guard but nonetheless pleased to see her daughters girlfriend._

_"Hey, what's up?" Camila asked._

_"Nothing, your mom's just putting Emory and Dylan to sleep," Alex replied, Camila grinning at the mention of her younger brother and sister._

_"Okay, well tell her to hurry cause we got something to tell you!" Camila said._

_"You've got something to what?" Mitchie asked coming into the computer room and closing the door as to not wake up Emory and Dylan._

_"Oh, hey ma!" Camila smiled giving a small wave to her mom._

_"Hey, baby girl. So what were you saying?"_

_"Okay, so Lauren and I have something to tell you guys," Camila began._

_"And just so you know you're finding out even before Lauren's parent's,"_

_"Finding out about what?!" Mitchie asked. Camila finally let go of Lauren's hand and showed her hand to the camera, revealing a ring on her finger._

_"WE'RE ENGAGED!" Camila replied, a noticeable shrill to her voice and a huge grin on Lauren's face._

_"Oh my god! Congratulations!" Alex exclaimed, tears coming to her and Mitchie's eyes. Mitchie was rendered speechless, but a large smile still came onto her face._

_"I'm so happy for you guys," Mitchie finally spoke up with an obvious catch in her throat trying to keep the tears in._

_Her little girl really wasn't her little girl anymore._

_**From the first breath she breathed**__**  
**__**When she first smiled at me**__**  
**__**I knew the love of a Mother runs deep**__**  
**__**Someday you might know what I'm going through**__**  
**__**When a miracle smiles up at you**__**  
**__**I loved her first**_

Tears glistened in Mitchie's eyes as well as Camila's the second Mitchie struck the last chord on her guitar, all of the guests immediately breaking into applause as Camila ran up and hugged her mother.

"I love you," Camila said, just barely getting the words out without her voice cracking.

"I love you too, baby girl," Mitchie said, giving Camila a kiss on her temple. As Camila wiped her tears after breaking the hug with her mom, Lauren came over and gave Mitchie a hug as well.

"Take good care of her," Mitchie said, wrapping Lauren in a tight hug.

"I promise I will," Lauren replied.

And 2 years later, Lauren held her and Camila's baby girl for the very first time, finally realizing just what Mitchie was talking about 2 years earlier.


End file.
